When were you under me?
by MOPmom
Summary: Logan realizes he wants to commit to Rory. Set in season 5. Multi-chapter. Canon compliant.
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: This is Logan's point of view as it dawns on him that he wants to be Rory's boyfriend beginning in 5.17 Pulp Friction. All characters belong to WB/Netflix, and title borrows from Friends.

Logan's inner thoughts in italics.

* * *

"And then I had to repeat it in front of the whole class. It was humiliating," Cassandra says.

Logan smiles at her before leaning in to kiss her cheek. She rewards him with a grin so wide her dimples show.

 _She's cute. I like her. I do._

"I'm sure it wasn't as bad as all that," he says. "I'm sure it was adorable. Very Elle Woods."

"I wish getting into Harvard Law was that easy," she replies.

"What... like it's hard?" he jokes, glancing away from her only to spy Rory and Lorelei across the street.

 _Oh shit._

"I'm impressed with how well you can quote that movie."

Logan doesn't hear her over the pounding of his heart.

 _Maybe she won't see me…_

 _Nope. She definitely just looked over here._

Logan looks back over at Cassandra who has an expectant look on her face.

"Um, I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I was saying how well you know Legally Blonde."

 _Rory made me watch it, and she quoted every line to me._

He sneaks a peek at Rory again only to see her stalking away, Lorelei trailing behind her and shooting daggers his way. He watches them leave, his heart sinking.

 _Is she upset?_

 _She shouldn't be upset. This is what I told her would happen. That I would see other girls. And she wanted me despite that._

 _And furthermore, this is what_ _ **needs**_ _to happen. We were spending way too much time together. I mean, I left a ski trip with my friends to spend the week with her._

His thoughts are interrupted by the waiter dropping off their brunch.

"Yum. I love a frittata," Cassandra says. "So Colin told me…"

 _It was totally worth it though. We didn't put clothes on for four days._

 _Sex with Rory is a much better way to spend spring break than getting high and watching Finn climb in and out of the hot tub with whatever girl came back to the cabin._

 _I got a ton of reading done, and when we traded books, she actually gave me something I hadn't read before._

 _And she's so cute when she's reading. The little noises she makes. How wide her eyes get. And she's even cuter naked when-_

"Logan? You okay over there?"

"What? Yes. I'm sorry. Um… So Colin will probably end up here for law school. His dad would never allow anything else... Is that what you asked?" Logan says.

Her brow furrows and Logan ignores her, tucking into his food. He manages to get through the rest of the meal, though he struggles to keep his mind on the girl in front of him.

"Do you want to go to a movie or something?" she finally asks him. "I'm free today."

"Uh… I actually have to run over to the Daily News. I have an article due. Can I catch up with you later?" he asks when the server brings back his credit card, squelching back guilt at his fib.

She nods quietly.

Logan gives her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll call you, okay?"

 _I know I'm being a dick, but I'm not going to feel right until I talk to Rory._

He finds her in the newsroom typing furiously. He takes a deep breath and heads her way. She glances up as he passes by, but does not speak to him.

 _Shit, she is upset._

"Well that's a look of great determination," he begins.

"Yes. I'm determined to finish this piece before my caffeine buzz wears off, and I have about thirty seconds left," she says tersely.

 _Definitely upset. Just ask her and get it over with._

"So…"

"So?" she prompts, still typing.

"Did I see you on State Street with…" _your mom_.

"Yeah."

 _Fuck._

"Rightttt. So you saw me on State Street with…" _someone who wasn't you._

"Yep."

 _Okay. So how do I play this? Apologize? Antagonize?_

"So…" _I guess I'll just stall and let her talk first._

"So?"

 _That didn't work. She's not giving me any indications of how mad she is…_

"Are we still good?" he asks, hating the desperation in his tone.

"Absolutely," she says, looking up with a smile.

 _She's_ _ **not**_ _upset?_ "Really?"

"Logan, we both agreed. No strings attached. Remember?"

"I remember," he says incredulously. "I was just checking to see how well you remember."

"I remember perfectly," she says.

"Okay. That's good to hear." _Is it though?_ "So…"

"Oh, we're not going to do the 'so' thing again, are we?" she teases.

Instantly his mood lightens. "No. Promise. No more 'so's.' Would you take an 'um'?" he quips.

"Depends. Where's it leading?" Rory asks.

 _Not sure. I hadn't planned this far._

"Um… Are you busy or do you feel like grabbing a cup of coffee?"

"Do you have the master key to a Starbucks or something?"

"Nah. I thought we'd just walk in and pay."

"Wow. Old school. Sure, let's go," she says.

 _That went easier than I anticipated._ "Okay. Let's go," he grins.

 _This is what works. The banter. The back and forth. As cute as Cassandra is… and Juliana… and Lisa… I can't do this with them._

She trails behind him, causing him to reach back for her hand. Her smile brightens, and he knows his face is glowing too. He leads her out of the building to the parking lot.

"So what was your article about?" he asks.

"I had to review another play. Doyle has had a really hard time finding someone to cover the arts. They're boring, but someone has to do it," she says.

"Invite me to the next one. I'll go with you. I guarantee you won't be bored."

"That would never work," she says, slipping into the front seat of his Porsche.

He closes her door, then rounds the car to the driver side. "Why not?" he asks buckling in.

She stares at him pointedly. "You would never let me work."

"Not true. I have the utmost respect for your journalistic endeavors."

"Okay. We're in a dark, quiet auditorium for two hours. The only entertainment is a student production of The Vagina Monologues-"

"You're right," he interrupts her. "I can't be in the dark with you and behave. I would be tempted to… well, I'd be tempted to do this," he says pulling her in to kiss her.

She reaches her hand to the back of his head pulling him closer. His tongue slides into her mouth. After a heated minute, she pulls ways and whispers "And if you did that, I'd want to do this." Her mouth dips lower, placing kisses along his jaw line.

His breath hitches. "And if you did that, I'd tell you it was time to get out of there."

She looks into his eyes, lust all over her face.

"Still want coffee?" she whispers.

"Nope."

He puts the car in reverse and heads back to his dorm where they can be alone.

The sex is great, and everything feels normal until Rory hops out of bed and begins to pull her clothes back on.

"Where are you going?" he asks, not wanting to admit that he'd decided that snuggling with her was one of his favorite activities.

"I just need to go to the bathroom."

"Oh... Wait. Check the closet," he says.

Her eyes narrow, but she turns to his closet and opens the door slowly.

Hanging there is a dressing gown he had purchased for her last week. The satin was butter soft, and the color reminded him of the dress he had chosen for her for the Life and Death Brigade event.

 _She looks so pretty in blue._

"Spring Break was easy, but Lanny might be here at any time, so..." he trails off.

She pivots back toward him, her expression unreadable, before methodically buttoning up her jeans.

 _Huh. I was sure she would like this as much as the dress._

"Actually, I have stuff to do. I should go," she says, sitting down on the bed to pull on her shoes. "Call me later?"

 _What just happened here?_

He grabs her hand to stop her. "Wait. We're good, right?"

"Yep. I'll see ya," she says flippantly, closing his bedroom door behind her.

 _That was weird._

 _And normally I love when a girl leaves before it gets awkward, but we didn't even have any time to catch up, or... I wanted to tell her that I finally started The Twilight Zone._

 _Whatever, she said we're fine._

But he can't shake the feeling that they had hit a turning point today. And he wasn't sure which way he wanted to turn.

* * *

Colin and Finn show up later that night, looking to play cards, perfectly meeting his need for distraction. Lanny orders a pizza while everyone settles in.

"Robert's coming too," Colin says.

"Why?" Logan whines.

"Because it's easy to take his money," Colin says.

Logan sighs and pours a bourbon. "Who else needs a drink?"

"Come on. He's not that bad," Lanny says.

Logan rolls his eyes and drains his glass.

Four bourbons later, Logan is feeling good. He has forgotten about Robert, about the awkwardness with Rory, about the bad date with Cassandra. He is winning, and the alcohol has pushed all of the other noise to the back of his mind.

On cue, Robert enters his dorm. "Logan, I want to talk to you about Rory," he says, sitting down at the card table. "Deal me in."

"Who's Rory?" asks Finn.

"What about her?" Logan says.

"I just ran into her at the student center. I'm going to take her to Finn's party tomorrow."

 _What the fuck?_

"Like a date?" Colin asks, shifting his eyes to Logan.

"Yeah. I was surprised you hadn't already asked her. But she said yes, so… I guess that's that," Robert says.

Suddenly everyone is looking at him. His inebriation has slowed his response time, but he recognizes the need to save face quickly.

"I… already have a date. You can take Rory. That's fine," he lies, his insides boiling.

"Who's Rory?" Finn asks again.

"Who are you taking?" Colin asks suspiciously.

"None of your business, man. Deal the cards."

The room goes quiet again as each of them studies their hands.

 _She's going out with Robert? Robert? Jackass Robert whose sole purpose in life is trying to one-up me. He only asked her to get under my skin._

 _And now I have to find a date for tomorrow. I was going to fly solo. Colin needs some help in the girl department, and I could stand some new faces too. None of the girls I've gone out with lately are distracting me from her._

"I'm all in," he says, pushing his chips into the center.

"I call," Robert challenges. "Two pair. Queens over eights. What do you got Huntz?"

Irritated, Logan throws his bluff down on the table. "I'm going to the pub."

* * *

Logan wakes up the next morning and glances down at the girl beside him. He'd run into Whitney at Rich Man's Shoe, and they'd had enough fun to make him forget why he stopped seeing her last year.

 _Alcohol softens her shrillness._

 _Thank God we didn't do anything more than kiss. I can't have her getting attached again. She was really hard to shake loose._

 _And now that I know-_

 _Forget it. Sex is not any different just because it's different with Rory._

 _I was just too drunk and too tired, and there's no other explanation. None._

He rolls out of bed and heads into his kitchenette for coffee. Whitney joins him a few minutes later, finding her purse on the counter and pulling it over her shoulder.

"So last night was fun," she says.

"Um-hmm," he agrees. "You want some?" he asks, motioning to the coffee pot.

"No, thanks. I'm gonna sneak out of here before anyone sees me," she says with a sly grin. "But I'm coming to Finn's party tonight, so maybe I'll see you there."

"Cool."

He follows her to the door, and the solution hits him. "Actually, let me pick you up. We can go to the party together."

She smiles widely and nods before slipping out.

 _Looks like I'll have to drink a lot again tonight…_

* * *

Logan continues to drink as Whitney and Josie gossip beside him.

 _It's like neither of them actually have anything interesting to say. Why can't they talk about real things? I bet they've never seen The Office. Or read The Sound and the Fury._

 _God. Stop it. Whitney is cute and she's doesn't expect anything from me, and that's all I should care about. That's what twenty-two year olds are supposed to care about._

He watches Finn move effortlessly through his party, flirting with everyone in his path.

 _I only get to be young once. As soon as I graduate, Mom will be all over me about settling down, so I can't waste time with that now. Colin committed to Stephanie, and it broke him. He still can't interact with other girls without sounding like an idiot._

Josie gets up to head to the bar, leaving Whitney and Logan alone. She leans in, intertwining their fingers, and placing her chin on his shoulder. He smiles awkwardly at her, delving into the far corners of his brain to remember something he found interesting about her. In his peripheral vision he sees Rory and Robert walking in, effectively ending all thoughts of Whitney.

 _Gogo's school girl uniform. Leave it to Rory to find a way to make me think about sex when everyone else looks like violence._

Unsure of what else to do, he grabs Whitney's hand, determined to confront the elephant in the room. "Let's get a drink," he says pulling her towards his friends.

"Well, well, well. The gang's all here," he booms, greeting Colin with the biggest grin he can muster. "Robert. Good to see you."

 _Nothing to see here. I couldn't care less that you brought Rory. Or that she looks adorable. Or that my date can only talk about other people._

"Hello, Logan."

He finally looks her way. "Rory, I like the costume."

"I like yours too," she replies evenly.

"This is Whitney. Whitney- Robert, Rory. You know Colin," Logan says.

"Hi."

Colin speaks to Whitney, but Logan can't take his eyes off of Rory. She is determinedly not looking back, and it infuriates him.

"So, good party, huh?" Logan pushes.

"Seems like it," Robert says.

Rory chimes in. "Music's cool."

"Very cool," Logan agrees. "Well, we're just heading over to the bar. Can we get you two anything?"

"No," Robert says, putting his arm on the small of Rory's back. "We're just gonna take a look around."

"Okay. We'll catch you later."

"Sounds good," Rory says before walking off with Robert.

Logan's insides are churning. _What the fuck is happening here?_

He sulks at the bar for the next half hour, pounding scotch, ignoring Whitney, and getting more and more pissed off.

 _She's just gonna show up at my best friend's party with the biggest douchebag I know? And she expects me to take it? Fuck that._

The second Robert leaves her alone, Logan heads her way, determined to tell her off.

"Ace. Having a good time?" he asks. _Draw her in, then take her out._

"I am."

"Good. That's good. Me too. I'm having a good time, too." _I love watching you with that asshole. Love it._

"Good."

"Yes, it is good." He drains his high ball, the ice cubes clanging the glass. "So I didn't know you knew Robert."

"I met him at the Life and Death Brigade gathering. And the poker game," she says.

"Oh. Right, right." _Places you were with me._ "Well he must have made quite an impression."

"He just asked me out, is all," she says, refusing to take the bait.

"Sure."

 _New tactic. Warn her away from him._

"He's kind of a jerk."

"Excuse me?"

"Robert. He's kind of a jerk. Have you noticed he's kind of a jerk?"

"Nope."

But that smile betrays her. _She knows he's a total dipshit._

"Huh," he says, clinking his ice again. _She knows._ "Night's young. Okay, come on."

He takes her by the hand, dragging her to the corner despite her protests.

"You look great," he says turning her against the wall, kissing her before she even knows it's coming. Her hands automatically thread through his hair as she gives in to him.

"Logan, stop," she says, pushing him away and glancing back over her shoulder.

 _Pull it together, Huntzberger. Hands to yourself. I just need to charm her enough to remind her that she likes me, not Robert._

"Right. So how've you been?" He's unsure of his next move, but he knows he can't let her walk away.

"I've been fine."

"Good. School's good?" _Geez. I sound like her grandmother._

"School's hard," she says through gritted teeth.

"Well, it's supposed to be hard. It's grooming you for life." He can't resist her eyes, going in for another kiss. "Making you an upstanding citizen."

She finally kisses him back. "God-fearing Christian," she smirks.

"Habitual recycler." The kiss is deeper, closer. The familiar energy surges through his body.

Then abruptly, she pushes him away. "We can't do this here, Logan."

 _Thank God._

"You're right. Let's go," he says.

"Go where?"

"Your place. My place. Let's take a train to New York, spend the night in the Plaza." _Literally anywhere that I can be alone with you._

"We can't just leave," she protests. "We have dates."

 _Fucking Christ._

In a rare moment of total honestly, he admits "I don't like this."

"Like what?"

"You here… with Robert."

"You're here with Whitney!" she says.

"I know." _But only because-_

"So what's the problem?"

 _She's going to make me admit it._

"The problem is you're here with Robert, and it's bothering me, and I don't like that it's bothering me."

"Sorry. Do you want us to leave?"

"No! I want _us_ to leave. You and me."

"I can't do that," she says.

"Oh, you want to spend the rest of the night with Robert instead of me?"

"I came here with Robert."

"So dump Robert. I hate Robert." _Fucking asshole._

"He's your friend."

"So what? I still hate him!" He can't keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Logan, you're the one who said-"

"I know what I said!" _God, if I had known she was going to throw it all back in my face…_

"Okay, then. I have to go. I have a date. Enjoy the rest of the party."

His eyes follow her across the room where she accepts a drink from Robert, who smirks at him. He takes a couple of measured breaths before heading back to the bartender. As he waits for his drink, he watches them. Robert's hand is on her hip, and she laughs at something he says.

 _If she kisses him in front of me…_

Rory glances over her shoulder and locks eyes with him. He is silently imploring her to forget Robert. To come back to him.

But instead, she whispers into Robert's ear, and they begin saying their goodbyes. Dejected, he watches them leave the party. He swivels back to the bar and begins another drink. When Whitney approaches him, he can't even be bothered to acknowledge her.

"You are such an asshole, Logan."

He shrugs because he knows she's not wrong, but right now he doesn't care. He has to leave this party before he embarrasses himself further. On the way, Colin stops him.

"Are you okay? You're being weird. And we all saw you with Rory. Not a good look, man."

He rolls his eyes in response. "Actually, Whitney is really pissed at me. I'm fairly certain she's done with me for the night. Can you make sure she gets home okay?"

Colin's eyes narrow. "You want me to take your date home?"

"Yeah. I just... I can't do this tonight. I'll talk to you later."

He heads out and walks back toward the dorms. In his drunken stupor, he tries and fails to analyze what had come over him tonight. _Why was I so jealous? Because it was Robert? But I guess I got this jealous about Marty a few weeks ago..._

 _I never act like this. What is it about her?_

Before he has realized it, he has wandered to Branford.

 _Great. Now I'm not only jealous, but I'm a stalker._

Through her window, he can see her reading in the bed. He can't stop himself; he knocks on the panes.

When she glances up, her eyes widen. She opens the window, and he tries to disarm her with his smile.

"What are you doing here, Logan?"

"I don't even know," he admits. "I just need to tell you that… I'm sorry I acted like such an ass."

Her face softens. "Do you want to come in?"

"I shouldn't. I'm really drunk." _I cannot be trusted in my words or actions right now._ As he backs away from the window, he smiles at her. "I'll call you tomorrow."

He stumbles home and drops his silk robe onto the floor before falling into bed. The ceiling swirls for a moment before he closes his eyes and passes out.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to dudeamanda for the prompt.


	2. Chapter 2

Author Note: This picks up the morning after Pulp Friction and moves through To Live and Let Diorama. I own no characters.

Some of this ties into my other stories, so if you haven't read those, some of these OC may be unfamiliar to you. (Juliana is Stephanie's roommate.)

Logan's inner thoughts in italics.

* * *

"Logan, it's early," Rory complains sleepily.

"Ace. It's almost eleven. I've already run three miles and watched an episode of The Twilight Zone."

She finishes a yawn. "You are flying through those."

"Well, the recommendation came from someone whose opinion I _really_ respect," Logan says with a smile.

"I would never lead you astray. How are you liking them?" she asks.

"Some episodes are better than others. You should come over later. We can watch some together… talk them through… have a sleepover…"

She giggles. "Okay, but right now, I'm going _back_ to sleep."

He hangs up the phone, smiling.

 _Excellent. We'll just breeze right past last night. Forget that even happened. It'll be like I never acted like a jealous idiot._

He pours some milk in his cereal and sits down to read through the paper. An ad on the back page catches his eye.

Flipping open his phone, he calls Rory back.

"Logan. I told you I was going back to sleep!"

"I know. Sorry. But there's an open rehearsal for the student production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Wednesday. Do you want to go?" he asks.

"Okay… But why the sudden interest in the drama department?"

"No reason."

"Is this about last night?" she asks.

 _Okay. Maybe we can't breeze past it._

"No, not at all. I just know you've been covering these for the Daily News. Last night was… nothing. An aberration. It won't happen again."

 _However, if you go out with Robert again, I will punch him in the face because I fucking hate him and the idea of him touching you makes me want to vomit._

* * *

Logan pokes his head into the office, looking for Rory. He has found himself doing this a lot over the last week for reasons he isn't ready to examine.

He spies her chatting in the corner of the room with Paris, so he heads to his workspace to wait her out. _No matter how much I want to see Ace, it's not worth an interaction with her roommate._

He tinkers around at his computer, attempting to look busy, until he finally catches Rory's eye and motions her over.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asks, perching on the side of his desk.

"Ace… I _am_ on the newspaper staff," he says sarcastically.

"Yeah, but… what are you really doing here?"

"Pub crawl tonight with the guys. I want you to come with me," he says.

"With your friends?"

"Yes. With my friends. And you're my friend. Come on. Lanny and Seth have been coordinating it for a week, and it would hurt their feelings if you blew it off."

"I'm your… friend?" she asks uncertainly.

He leans in closer smirk. "You're my friend who I am going to do dirty things to tonight after we ditch the guys."

Her face reddens and she absently tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

He pushes further. "Like last night when I-"

"Okay, okay. I was there," she whispers.

He smiles broadly at her shyness. "I just wanted to make sure you remembered how hot-"

"Logan!"

"But for real, will you come tonight?"

"We've been together every day this week."

"What? Are you sick of me?"

 _Or do you have a date? Who could she have a date with? It better not be Robert. Or Marty._

"No. I just want to make sure you don't get sick of _me._ "

He smiles. "Never. Come on, Ace. It'll be fun."

"Alright."

"Nice. I'll swing by and get you at eight." Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he heads out to the hallway only to be instantly accosted by a loud voice.

"Huntzberger!"

He stops in his tracks as Paris comes barreling through the throngs of students. His eyebrows raise at the intensity of her glare.

"What's your angle here?" she asks, getting right into his personal space.

"My _angle_?" he repeats, stepping back.

"Yes, Descartes. Your angle."

Logan sighs. "Paris, I don't know what you're talking about."

"With Rory. Your angle with Rory. You know what you're doing, right?"

 _Truthfully, not really. I know I want her. I know I don't want her to see anyone else._

 _But I can't admit that out loud yet, so I'm figuring it out as I go._

He just stares at her blankly until she finally rolls her eyes. "Don't screw this up."

He pivots and leaves her in the hallway, but her words stick in his brain the rest of the afternoon.

 _How do I keep from screwing this up?_

* * *

"That's it. I've killed you seven times today, Logan. I refuse to play anymore until you get better," Finn says. He sets down his controller and picks up his bong. He takes a hit before passing it Logan.

"Nah, I'm probably going to hang out with Rory tonight and she doesn't… ya know…"

Colin rolls his eyes as he reaches across Logan to take the bong from Finn.

"Rory is Reporter Girl, yeah?" Finn asks.

"How can you still not know this?" Logan asks incredulously.

"Yeah, Finn. Logan only hangs out with her every single day. How could you not know who she is?"

Logan catches the sarcasm from Colin and turns to glance at him sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just what I said. You see her every night."

Logan thinks back over the last two weeks.

 _He's right. Ever since Finn's birthday, I've been with Ace a lot. I don't want to be one of those guys who bails on their friends when they have a girlfriend. It drove me crazy when Colin did that._

 _And she's_ _ **not**_ _my girlfriend._

"You know what… Give me that." Logan takes the bong and pulls out a long hit. An hour later he is high as a kite, losing at Halo again.

"Hey, Ace. I'm going to have to take a raincheck on tonight. Something came up that I can't get out of. I'll call you later."

* * *

"Hey, Logan. It's Rory. I got your message. I have a paper due this week, so I can't come over tonight. But if I get close to finishing, maybe tomorrow? I'll keep you updated."

* * *

"Ace! Where are you? I just checked the news office, and I was forced into a ten minute conversation with Doyle. You owe me one."

* * *

"Hi. Gosh… This is um… like four days in a row. Hopefully, I'll catch you soon."

Logan listens to voicemail from Rory with a frustrated sigh, looking around the noisy pub that precipitated his missed call from Rory.

"You all right?" Lanny asks from the other side of the booth.

Logan nods. "I just… need to make a phone call."

He quickly dials Rory's number. He anxiously listens to the rings, groaning when he hears the familiar cadence of Rory's voicemail.

"Ace… This back and forth is nuts. We're all at the pub, so get your ass down here." He pauses for a moment before softly adding "I miss you."

 _Did I just say I miss her? I mean, I do… but that's not something I should say out loud. It sounds so… pathetic._

"Incoming," Lanny says, breaking into Logan's thoughts.

Logan glances up to see Juliana closing in on him. Stifling an eye roll, he smiles widely.

"Logan Huntzberger! I haven't seen you in weeks. Are you hiding from me?" she flirts, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder and sitting down in the booth next to him.

 _Yes. You were acting crazy for a while. Showing up in my room. Texting non-stop. And we only went out one time._

"Of course not. It's just since Colin and Stephanie broke up, we don't seem to be running in the same circles anymore."

"Well, Stephanie isn't attached to my hip. I'm capable of doing things without her," she says smiling.

"I'll remember that." _Except I will not because there is no way I'm ever hanging with you again. No matter how hot you are._

"So maybe we should get together this weekend. Just you and me?"

"Actually, I'm all tied up this weekend."

She leans into nuzzle his ear whispering "I could tie you up this weekend."

 _Wow, okay._ He eyes her closely, almost tempted by her boldness.

 _She **is** really wild in bed. And she's so pretty._

 _But she's also nuts. And_ _she's not… Rory._

The awkward silence at the table is broken by Lanny's snicker.

 _I gotta get out of here._

He begins to plot his escape just as Stephanie approaches holding hands with a tall blond in a Yale sweatshirt. Logan immediately scans his eyes through the pub, looking for Colin.

 _Shit._

"Hey Juliana… Hi Logan, Lanny," she says shyly.

"Hey Steph. Long time, no see."

"Um… this is William. William, this is Logan and Lanny. They are… old friends of mine."

They all nod awkwardly at each other until finally Logan plasters on a fake smile and nudges Juliana. She gets the hint and lets him out of the booth.

"Good to see you guys. You can have this table. Lanny, let's go."

Lanny jumps up to follow him. "Spread out. Find Colin now, and let's get him out of here before this becomes a complete shitshow."

He finds him at the far end of the bar. Logan quickly motions to the bartender to close Colin's tab before putting his hand to his shoulder. "This bar is tired. Let's find somewhere else."

Colin looks up glumly. "I already saw them. It's no big deal. Fuck her and that Ken doll. I don't care."

Logan sighs, knowing this front will only last until Colin is too drunk to keep pretending.

"Let's go anyway. Not for you, for me. Juliana is here too, and I don't want any part of that tonight."

They are out the door and down the street before he remembers that he told Rory to come to Rich Man's Shoe. He slows his gait as he thumbs through his phone ready to call one more time.

"No!" Colin says loudly. "Can we just go one night without you having Rory tag along? What is it with you and her?"

"Do you not like her?" Logan asks, surprised.

"I like her fine. I just hate having to be nice to people. I can be myself if I know I'll never see them again."

Logan laughs. "So you don't want her around so you can be an unapologetic asshole." He snaps his phone shut and gazes at his oldest friend. "I… I think I really like her."

"No shit. That's obvious. But listen to me. It's not worth it, Logan. Say you do everything right. You give her all your time and energy. You're still just a few months away from seeing her and a fucking Abercrombie model walk into _your_ bar and act like it's not an actual affront," Colin says morosely.

 _Obviously, I don't want that. But I'm not ready to let her go yet._

"Listen to me, Huntzberger. Commitment is for losers. It's not like you can't get laid anytime you want. So if it's more than just wanting sex on the regular… Take a two week sabbatical from Rory. If you still want to be with _her_ , then you'll know. And you can decide if you want to risk it. I'd advise you not to, but..."

Logan slips his phone back into his pocket and falls back into step with Colin.

"I think he's the captain of the crew team," Colin says morosely.

Logan nods in understanding. _I would lose it if Rory dated some fratastic superjock too. Maybe two weeks apart is a good idea. Before I take too big of a step. Something I'm not ready for. Something I'll screw up, just like Paris said._

 _Maybe I'll forget about her fast if we're apart, and she's not being cute or funny or surprisingly sexy or…_

* * *

The first week is easy. He leaves his phone at home when he goes out, and he never checks his call log.

 _It's actually freeing not to have to be constantly available. I can ignore my parents and Honor. And it's easier to not know Rory is calling than to ignore her calls. That is surprisingly hard to do._

But when the next week rolls around, he finds himself itching to call her. He just wants to ask her opinion on an episode of The Office.

 _That's it. I just want to know if she thinks Gareth is funny or annoying. Because I'm going back and forth, and I would like a clear direction._

 _No. I can do this. Gareth is annoying._

 _I don't need her opinion. I'm Logan Fucking Huntzberger, and I don't need validation from a girl, no matter how much I like said girl._

He's talking a big game in his head, but he knows he's getting weak and desperate. He shows up at Colin and Finn's apartment on Thursday afternoon with a proposal.

"Let's go to Vegas!"

"What?" Colin asks.

"Yes! Vegas!" Finn cheerfully agrees.

"I need a break from school, this town, all of it. Let's go. Tonight."

Easily convinced, they both nod.

"Do you want anyone else to come?" Colin asks. "I'll have my father's secretary book the flights and get the hotel. I bet Robert could get something set up at the Westin."

"First of all, no to Robert," Logan says. "Second, I want to be on the strip. The Palms. Where they did The Real World."

"Yeeeessss," Finn chimes in.

Colin immediately calls his father's office, and Logan heads back home to pack, confident that a weekend with cocaine, gambling, and exotic dancers will put his head back on straight.

 _College is for getting wasted and whoring around. That'll take her out of my mind._

But his plan goes sideways as soon as he gets in the town car to take them to the airport.

"Logan! Great idea!" Juliet squeals from her spot next to Colin.

"This is going to be great. Is Rory coming?"

Logan tries his hardest not to glare at Rosemary. "No, she's not going to be joining us tonight."

 _There goes coke and strippers._

Colin and Finn do not escape his glares.

Later, as they settle into their seats on the plane, Colin leans his way. "So about the girls… I know you're mad."

"Why would I be mad? I'm not one to keep anyone from having a good time. Even if it's with an unattainable redhead and a low-rent Stephanie substitute."

"That's harsh. Then I might as well tell you that Robert is coming too. He came over after you left and got his Dad to put together a gambling tour through all of the Starwood properties for tomorrow night. It'll be worth having him come. Just quit being a dick about everything."

Logan rolls his eyes and presses the call button. "I need a drink."

* * *

He is awakened the next morning when a whole crew of Life and Death Brigadiers enter their suite. Logan hears Robert's voice first and stifles a groan. But he is absolutely not prepared for who he finds when he pads out of his bedroom.

Robert is followed by Seth, Evan, Nicole, Josie, and Whitney.

 _What the fuck? This is not who I want to spend this weekend with._

"Who's ready to gamble with house money?" Robert asks loudly.

Colin whoops it up and begins pouring drinks from the mini bar.

"Is it not too early for this?" Logan asks. "No way is Finn even awake."

"It's two o'clock, man," Evan says.

"Finn never even came home last night," Rosemary chimes in, sounding slightly disappointed.

Logan looks around at his friends taking shots and lighting joints and decides to make the best of it.

 _So this is not the crew I envisioned rolling with this weekend, but I might as well have fun while I'm here. The whole point of this trip is forgetting about real life. I can do that with anybody._

He grabs a mini bottle, twists off the cap, and turns it up. He flinches as the vodka burns his throat, but he pushes through, guzzling to the chants of his friends.

"Yeah, Huntzberger! Get dressed, let's go!" Evan cheers.

Colin calls downstairs to cue the transportation only to find that the stretch Hummer they brought from the airport is no longer in the parking deck.

"I'm sure Finn has it. I'll call him," Logan tells the group as he retreats to his bedroom. He quickly changes and puts in a call to Finn.

"The voicemail box you are trying to reach is full."

"Guys, looks like we're walking. I can't reach Finn."

He and Colin change their outgoing messages to let Finn know where they are before heading to the elevator.

"This is going to be epic," Colin says.

"Yeah, sorry about yesterday," Logan replies. "I just wasn't expecting anyone else."

"If we get really high, it won't matter who's here," Colin snarks.

* * *

Somewhere between the Westin and the Bellagio, Logan suddenly finds himself walking with Nicole and Whitney.

"How come your girlfriend didn't come?" Nicole asks.

 _I really wish Finn would have shown back up with the hummer._

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh, Evan told me… I thought you were still with the girl you brought to Vermont. The pretty one. Kind of dorky," she explains.

"Oh, she likes Robert," Whitney says in a sing-song voice.

"She does not like Robert!" he shouts. "And she's not dorky. She's just… really into school."

"And she's not your girlfriend?" Nicole asks.

"No."

"Is it because she still likes Robert? Or maybe she's moved on to Seth," Whitney says.

"Ha, ha. I'm glad you find this so amusing."

"I'm pretty sure I've earned it," Whitney says.

Logan shrugs. _She probably has._

"But seriously, Logan. If you like her, why isn't she your girlfriend? Because, all kidding aside, it's obvious she likes you too," Whitney says.

"I just never wanted to have a girlfriend in college. I don't want commitment. I just want to have fun."

Nicole's brow furrows. "Does it seem like Evan or I don't have fun?"

 _Actually, Evan probably has more fun than anyone I know._

When Logan doesn't answer, Nicole presses on. "Is it monogamy?"

 _I really don't want to have this conversation, especially not with Whitney here._

"I'm going to catch up with the guys," Logan says, picking up his pace and striding away from the girls.

He tries his best to live in this moment. To gamble like money isn't an issue ( _it's not_ ), to drink like hangovers don't exist ( _they do_ ), and to revel in the debauchery he had planned for this weekend, but something is holding him back.

At three in the morning, it finally dawns on him. Strippers don't work when Rory is the only girl he wants to see naked. Gambling isn't thrilling anymore unless she's sitting by his side, peppering him with questions, being his good luck charm. Drugs aren't fun when he knows she wouldn't approve.

 _Why am I fighting this so hard? Nicole is right. Evan still goes out with us. And Rory has never been monopolizing of my time. She has her own things to do._

 _And I thought it would be, but it's not the monogamy. I'm basically monogamous anyway._

 _Is this rebellion against my parents' wishes? That I can't commit to someone in their social set who they would approve of?_

 _Or is this my own weird shit?_

As he contemplates all of these swirling thoughts, his eyes close and he drifts off.

* * *

He allows himself to sleep late the next day, but as soon as he's up, he begins throwing all of his things into his duffel bag. He is almost finished when Finn bounds into his room.

"Where have you been?" Logan asks as Finn throws himself onto the bed, bouncing several times.

"I know, I know… But I met someone lovely, and I couldn't tear myself away. I apologize. But tonight, I'm all yours. De JA Vu, Crazy Horse, Hustler. Any of them. All of them. Wherever you want. Tits and asses for days."

"Actually, as much as I was looking forward to the exploits of exotic dancers… I'm going to head back to the airport. I need to get home," Logan says.

"What? Why?"

Logan can only look away. He doesn't have a good explanation of what he needs to do; he only knows he needs to do it.

"Reporter girl?"

Logan nods.

"Alright, mate. Then go get your girl."

Once at McCarran, Logan puts himself on stand-by for every flight to New York and Hartford. While he waits, he wanders around the airport with his cell phone looking for any bars of service, roaming charges be damned, but there are none to be found.

 _I'll just have to call her when I get home. Even though with the flight, the cab, and the time change, it'll be late._

When wheels touch down at Laguardia, Logan opens his phone again and searches his call log for the first time in two weeks.

 _Shit._

There are over twenty missed calls from Rory, three from today. The last message is from a week ago. "Hey. It's… Rory. Um, give me a call when you get a chance."

He immediately calls her, but the line goes straight to voicemail.

By the time he is back at his dorm, it's after eleven, but he knows this shouldn't wait.

 _I've been ignoring her for two weeks. I have to fix this right away._

But no one answers his knocks on her door.

 _I would even take Paris or Doyle right now if I could find out where she is._

He creeps around the side of her building and peers into her window. All the empty room shows him is an untouched bed.

He has a hard time winding down once back in his own room.

 _She's probably just out with Paris. Or maybe she's in the library._

 _Or maybe she's on a date…_

 _At least it's not with Robert._

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the lengthy delay. Real life has been hectic. I can probably finish this off in one more chapter, which hopefully will be soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Author Note: I am so sorry this has taken so long. I struggled getting the ending where I wanted it. I'm still not fully satisfied, but... I hope you all enjoy it.

All characters belong to Gilmore Girls.

* * *

Logan flips aimlessly through the paper, scanning headlines, retaining nothing. He stops reading to practice what he needs to say to Rory.

 _I've missed hanging out with you the last week..._

 _I don't like the thought of you out with other guys..._

 _Explain to me what commitment means to you..._

 _No. None of this is right._

 _I've got to relax and give her enough time to get home._

 _Shit. What if she doesn't come home? What if she's holed up in Marty's dorm room for days figuring out that he was actually the one she wanted all along?_

 _No. It's not too late. I can fix this. She called me dozens of times last week. She definitely still likes me._

 _Or she was calling to end things because she's getting back together with her freakishly tall ex-boyfriend._

He audibly sighs before returning to skim the business section, snapping to attention when he sees his father's name in a headline. _He's already announcing intentions to bring me to the board? Can I not even finish college before he starts this shit?_

A knock pulls him from his reading. Dropping the paper and turning down the music, he is surprised, but pleased, to find Rory at the door, looking exhausted.

"Well this is a surprise."

"Can I come in?" she asks timidly.

"Yeah, sure. You wanna sit down?"

"Nope," she counters. "Got to stay vertical."

"What?"

 _Has she been horizontal, like, all night? Where was she?_

He eyes her suspiciously. "You have like an octagon imprint on your face."

"I can't do this anymore, Logan."

 _Wait…_ "Do what?"

"This casual dating thing. I don't like it. It's not who I am," she explains. "And I don't wanna make it who I am."

"Whoa, hold on. Where's this coming from?" he asks, before turning the music completely off. _Please clarify so I know I haven't completely blown this._

"It's coming from me. The ravishing creature standing in front of you."

 _Okay, so at least it's not coming from Robert…_

"We talked about this," he begins.

"I know."

"I didn't make you do this."

"I know. I'm not accusing you of anything. This isn't your fault."

 _She's not accusing…?_

 _What is going on? I cannot read her at all right now. Is she ending this?_

"I don't understand. I thought everything was going so well," Logan says. _I was ready to tell you that I'm all in._

"What are you talking about? I haven't heard from you in a week!"

 _Actually, almost two…_

 _I'm such an idiot._

"I was busy. I had some friends in town." He begins with his usual excuses, falling back into a bad habit.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. You're not my boyfriend. You don't owe me any explanations. I just don't want to be one of the many anymore."

"Oh, Rory. Come on."

 _You're not-_

Lanny opens his bedroom door, pokes his head out, and says "Hey Logan. Cassandra's on the phone."

 _Are you kidding me? He could not have worse timing._

"Take a message."

"She's got a great accent," Lanny says.

 _Yeah, well North Carolina is very exotic._

"Where's she from?"

"Lanny, message!"

"Fine, relax man. Geez," Lanny says, backing into his room and closing the door.

"Go call Cassandra back. We're done here," Rory says.

"How are we done here?" _We're definitely not done. I have a whole speech planned. Well, vaguely planned._

"I said everything I have to say," she says with a shrug.

"Which is what?"

"I'm a girlfriend girl, Logan. I have boyfriends. Not escorts."

"Ah." _I'm going to have to amend this speech. This vague speech._

He begins pacing, trying to sort his thoughts.

"I thought I could be different, but I can't," she continues. "I'm sorry. Maybe we can go back to just being friends again."

 _Friends?_

"Or maybe we can just become boyfriend and girlfriend, right?" he asks.

"What?"

 _Forget the speech. I'm just going to have to go for it. Ask her to be my girlfriend._

"I get it. I get what you're doing," he says, unable to keep the nervousness from creeping into his voice.

Rory protests. "I'm not _doing_ anything."

"Hey, if that's what you want, then just come out and say it, okay? But you coming in here and issuing an ultimatum?"

 _I actually need you to say it clearly so I don't look like an idiot if you've gotten back together with the Jolly Green Giant._

"I am not issuing an ultimatum," she says.

"That's not what I heard."

"I said 'Let's be friends.'"

 _Well then… that's not what I'm trying to hear._

"That's not what you meant," Logan says.

 _I think you mean you want me to commit to you. Please tell me you want me to commit. Because I will._

"Oh, I need a taco," she whines.

He eyes her intently, but she is not giving him anything. _I'm just going to have to risk it._

"Alright. Fine. I'll do it," he says, approaching her.

"You'll do what?"

"I'll be your boyfriend," Logan says.

Her eyes turn incredulous. "You can't be my boyfriend."

"Why not?"

"Because you told me that you can't be my boyfriend."

 _Please don't hold me to the ridiculous things I said a few weeks ago. I was a moron._

"If I say I can, then I can," Logan says

"You have a hundred girls on speed dial, you keep a second bathrobe in your closet for overnight guests," she taunts him.

"That's all beside the point. You came in here to say you were unhappy with the situation, right?"

"Right."

"I've rectified the situation. Problem solved," he says.

"No, problem not solved."

He takes her hands. "Hey, if I say I can do this, I can do this."

His eyes plead with hers, and just when he thinks he has her, the door knocks again. He opens the door, and Lisa just walks right in.

"Hey, Logan. I thought maybe I could get you to buy me some lunch."

"Geez." _Apparently, there can be worse timing._

"I'm sorry. Could you excuse us for just a second?" Rory asks Lisa. "We're almost done here."

"Sure. I'll just wait out here," she says, stepping back out into the hallway.

Logan quickly closes the door, turning to Rory with a sheepish expression.

"So, the Swedish flight attendant should be here any minute."

"I swear this situation has never happened before in my life."

 _I mean… the first time I'm trying to tell a girl I don't want any other girls, the other girls won't go away._

"Logan…"

"Rory. Do you really wanna stop seeing me?" _Please tell me it's not too late._

"No, but I can't-"

"Cause I don't want to stop seeing you."

"Okay, but-"

"So just accept what I'm saying. I like trying new things. It's new. It's different, but I can do it."

 _I_ _ **can**_ _do it._

"Are you sure?"

He tries to convince her the best way he knows how. He pulls her into a passionate kiss. She responds to him for a moment before pulling back.

"I know you can do _that_ , but…"

He cuts her off with another kiss, feeling the tension leave his body.

Rory looks up at him, her blue eyes nervous. "I really wanna believe you," she whispers.

"Then believe me. We're starting fresh right now, new beginning. So… you wanna go grab some lunch. We'll hammer out the details."

"I should probably change first," she says.

"Go home and change. I'll pick you up in half an hour." His relief is palpable.

"Okay."

Her smile is infectious, and he smiles back as he leans in for another kiss. "See how good this is going so far? I think I'm gonna be an excellent boyfriend."

"I agree. Now you wanna go tell her or should I?" she asks, gesturing to the door.

"Oh, crap. I'll be right back."

He slips out the door quickly to find Lisa still waiting patiently.

"You ready to go?" she asks with a grin.

"Uh, no. The thing is…" He pauses for a moment. These are not feelings he has ever expressed, and he's unsure of the words. "So Rory, um… the girl inside. She's my girlfriend now so I'm not going to be taking you to lunch. Or really anywhere anymore."

His awkward diction leaves Lisa confused for a moment. "You. Logan Huntzberger. _You_ have a girlfriend?"

"Yes. I… have a girlfriend."

"Since when?"

He smiles. "Since about three minutes ago."

"Hmm. Okay, I guess I'll take off then," she says. "Keep my number. For when you're single again."

He watches her saunter off, slightly annoyed at her insinuation, before heading back to his dorm.

He finds Rory on the couch reading his discarded paper intently.

She looks up with a smirk. "How awkward was that?"

"Pretty awkward," he says sitting beside her and pulling her close.

"Logan, I want to make sure this is what you want to do. I was not giving you an ultimatum. I promise."

Pressing soft kisses to her lips and jawline, he whispers. "I believe you. But I don't want to be one of your many either."

"You know there aren't many."

 _Seeing you with Robert about killed me._

"I know there's more than me," he says. "And that's too many."

She pulls away to watch him closely. "You're sure?"

He nods in earnest. "And… by the way, that bathrobe? I got it for you. After spring break. It was fine to be non-stop naked when we were alone, but I figured we shouldn't be so cavalier if Lanny could be here at any moment."

"Really?" she asks with a big smile.

"Um-hmm. Tags are still on it. Do you want me to show you?"

"No. I believe you. I'm going to run home and shower. I'll text you when I'm ready." She kisses him one last time before slipping out the door.

* * *

Logan pulls up in front of the soul food restaurant Rory had requested. "You're sure this is what you want to feed your hangover?"

"I normally want Mexican, but I'm suddenly craving carbs."

"Do you think mashed potatoes will get that tile imprint off your face?" He laughs as he gets out of the car. "Or do you think that's there for good?"

"So you've never passed out next to the toilet?"

"Touché."

Once they sit down at the table, Logan asks, "So where were you last night that you got so tanked?"

"I actually went to Stars Hollow for Founders' Day. Miss Patty's punch is lethal, and I definitely overserved myself."

"Any reason? You don't normally drink like that," Logan says.

"This is probably the stuff we should talk about before you decide if you want to do this," she says.

"I promise I want to do this. Lay it on me."

"I got really drunk because... I was upset that you were ignoring me, and I… I guess I was jealous at the thought of you with another girl instead of me. I know that's not how I told you I would be, but-"

"I didn't mean to ignore you, I just… I took some bad advice, and I thought I needed some space from you. I went to Vegas," he admits.

"What? You've been in Vegas this whole time?"

"Not the _whole_ time. We were just spending so much time together. I was starting to ditch my friends, and I thought I needed to take a step back."

"If that's how you feel, then-"

Logan is adamant. "It's not how I feel. I want to be with you. I just have to figure out how this works."

Rory smiles. "I'm no expert, but I have been in a relationship before, so maybe I can help."

"Hit me with your knowledge, Ace!"

"So obviously, no more girls."

"I actually figured that one out on my own," he smirks. "Not a problem."

"And, also… I need to have some clue where you are. I don't intend on being with you every second of every day, but if you're going to Vegas, at least drop me a text so I'm not calling you over and over wondering why you aren't answering your phone."

"That… also make sense," Logan says.

"And probably most important… we should just be honest with each other. If you think we're spending too much time together and Finn misses you, just tell me that. I have my own friends, and the paper, and you know… stuff to do. Being my boyfriend doesn't mean that you aren't going to have your own life. I don't have to be your only priority. I just can't be your last. Does that feel like something you can do?"

 _That feels perfect._

He nods as the smile creeps up his face. "I'm going to be so good at this. There will never be a boyfriend as good as me. I'm going to shock you, Ace."

She laughs. "Only your ego could find a way to turn this into a competition."

* * *

Logan helps Rory out of his car, taking her by the hand, and leading her through the quad toward his dorm.

"Hey, it looks like the octagons are off your face!" he says.

"Tea sweetened with two pounds of sugar must have done it."

"And how's that headache of yours?"

"Starting to subside a little. The mashed potato, mac and cheese, biscuit gravy plate combo really helped a lot," she quips.

"I have to say… half the fun of being with you is the horrified look on the waiters' faces."

"Please. I'm an amateur compared to my mother," Rory says.

"So what do you think? You up for a movie?" _I just want to keep this day going…_

"Oh, yeah. Something really bad," she agrees.

"Absolutely. Let's check the paper and see if Rob Schneider's still employable."

Opening his door, he says "I think I have a paper over here."

"Well. Look how long you make a girl wait for you!"

Logan looks up to see his sister sitting on the couch.

"Honor!"

"You think you're worth it?" Honor asks cheekily.

"What are you doing here?" Logan asks, making his way to her.

"Apparently, begging for some affection." She wraps Logan up in a tight embrace. "It is so good to see you."

"You too," he agrees.

"Listen, Logan. Maybe I should go," Rory says quietly.

"What?"

 _Shit. She thinks Honor is another one of those girls._

"Oh, sorry. God! Rory, this is my _sister_ , Honor. Honor, Rory Gilmore."

"Sister? Really? Oh, well it's nice to meet you." The relief on Rory's face is evident.

"It's nice to meet you too," Honor says.

"Hey, you're sister's here. Cool," Rory says.

He grins at Rory before asking Honor "So what's the occasion?"

"Well, I had to see you. And since you never check your email, I had to drag myself down and beg Lanny to let me in so I could show you this!" She holds up her left hand, bouncing on her toes.

"Holy…"

"It happened last night," she explains.

"Josh finally gave in, huh?" Logan teases her.

"Oh, stop it. He's lucky I ever looked at him in the first place."

"Well congratulations."

"Listen, I need a favor," she says sternly, pulling him down to the couch with her. "I'm going to tell _them_ tomorrow night at dinner, and I need you there for support."

"Come on." _She can't seriously expect me to go home._

"Hey. I backed you up when you wanted to take a year off of school and sail around the world. I wired you the money when you sunk the yacht. I helped pay off the Indonesian coast guard." She looks at him sternly, and he has to admit she's right.

"Okay, okay. I give. I'll be there." _She's lucky I love her so much._

"Oh thank you. I love you, I love you, I love you! Okay, now I can breathe and focus on you," she says quickly pivoting to face Rory. "Hi."

"Hi." Rory says cheerily.

"I'm sorry. I'm totally blanking. Your name is…?"

"Rory. Rory Gilmore."

"Yeah, Rory's my… girlfriend." He cuts his eyes quick to gauge Honor's reaction before widening them to Rory.

The words are foreign, but not unpleasant.

"You okay over there? You need a little water or… a time machine?" Rory asks.

 _She's so cute._

"I'm sorry. Did you say 'girlfriend'?" Honor asks, incredulous.

"Yes."

"It's new," Rory fills in.

"Oh my God," Honor giggles. "I've never heard him call anyone his girlfriend before. Well, Alyssa Milano, but he was ten, and in a weird "Who's the boss?" phase."

 _Don't bring up Alyssa Milano. That is sacred._

"Oh, wow. Time flies when you're getting pushed out the door," he says, standing up from the couch.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Honor turns to Rory. "You must come to dinner too."

"Oh. Um-"

"No, really. Come. Please come. It'll make it more festive and distracting," Honor pleads.

"We'll see," Rory says.

"Okay fine. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow night. Please don't be late."

"I promise," he says, hugging her tight.

"Bye Rory!"

"Bye."

Logan sits back down beside Rory. "And that is my sister."

"I like her."

"Yeah, she's cool."

"Listen. You do not have to take me to dinner tomorrow. It's a family thing. I totally understand."

 _My parents are a nightmare. I probably shouldn't subject her to that. But it would be more fun if she were there._

"No, you should come."

"Logan…"

"Hey, boyfriends bring their girlfriends to their family's houses for dinner. It's natural."

"How would you know?" she asks.

"I saw it on "Who's the boss?" Now let's find that paper," he says. "Okay, we got Amityville Horror, Sin City, Fever Pitch… No Rob Schneider, but Jimmy Fallon's from SNL, and I'm sure he can't act either. What do you think, Ace?"

"Maybe we could skip the movie," she says.

"And what would you rather do instead?" he asks.

She takes him by the hand and leads him to his bedroom. "Show me this bathrobe."

* * *

Thirty hours later, Logan pulls his Porsche into the student parking lot. The half hour car ride home from Hartford had been awkward, and even now, with the car stopped and the silence heavy, he doesn't know what to say.

 _How do you come back from your grandfather calling her unfit to her face? Or your mother trying to set you up with someone else in front of her?_

 _I mean… there are literally no words._

He can feel Rory's eyes on him as he opens her door and helps her out of the car, but the embarrassment and anger are dueling for control of his body, and he just can't return her gaze.

 _After every girl at Yale showing up yesterday and now my lunatic family… There's no way she sticks this out. I should tell her that I know my parents suck, and that I don't care what they think. At all. That- fuck, Paris is home._

 _I just can't deal with her tonight._

"So, okay if I drop you here?" he asks, defeated.

"Drop me here?"

"Lights are on. Paris is home. I've had about all the crazy I can take for one evening."

"Okay, sure." Her voice is small, and he hates that he has reduced her to this. But she presses on. "You know we don't have to go in. We can get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Okay."

"I just wanna walk a little. Clear my head."

It's a total copout, but he knows if he doesn't get away from her, he is likely to make this situation worse.

 _I can't be trusted not to totally fuck up here._

"Okay," she says, nodding in understanding.

 _She's too good for me anyway._

Stealing a kiss, he says, "I'll call you later," before pivoting to leave.

"Tomorrow?" he hears her call out.

"Uh, yeah. Tomorrow."

 _By tomorrow you will have talked yourself out of wanting to have anything to do with me._

 _How did it get to this point?_

 _Six months ago, I jumped off a scaffold with a girl I thought was pretty, and now my parents don't think she's suitable for me to marry. Nobody is talking about marriage. I could only admit she was my girlfriend_ _ **yesterday**_ _!_

 _And so what if I did want to marry someone like her. Or her._

 _I was an idiot for thinking I could do this. Who cares how much I like her? Grandpa is right. They're just going to choose someone for me anyway and force me down the aisle. It'll probably be a part of some business merger, and my bride will be the daughter of the rival family. Like The Godfather._

 _This will be better for Rory too. She's an amazing writer, and to have your boyfriend's family disrespect you like that would be detrimental to anyone's psyche. This way she can find someone else. Someone better. Someone whose family isn't so malicious and awful._

His phone rings, interrupting his thoughts. Seeing the caller ID, he angrily snaps his phone open.

"What the hell, Honor?"

"I'm sorry-"

"How could you just sit there and let them say those things to us? To Rory?"

"I know. I know-"

"I did my part. I took up for Josh, and he didn't even need it. Apparently Josh is just fine. It's Rory who's too smart, too ambitious. God! It's not the 1800's. It's 2005. Do they not understand that women work now? Look at you. You have a degree _and_ a fucking job. Why am I supposed to marry an idiot?"

"Logan, I am so, so sorry. Obviously, it never occurred to me that Grandpa would say those things. And Mom. Lord, she was terrible. Talking about Ashley Fallon. You must let me apologize to Rory. Can I talk to her?"

"She's… I dropped her off at her dorm. It was awkward, and I didn't know what to say."

"Oh, my little brother. I know that you have no experience in this area, but you have to go back to her. She must feel horrendous right now, and she needs you to be supportive of her."

"Don't you think she's better off without any of this?"

"How are you this clueless? Go to her. Right now. Beg forgiveness. And when you get a chance, let me apologize too."

Logan hangs up his phone, turns around and heads straight back to his girl. _She's right. Tell her I'm sorry, that I acted like an idiot, and ask her to forgive me._

He knocks impatiently at her door, Paris be damned.

She opens the door, confusion setting in when she sees it's him. "Hey… You okay?"

"I'm sorry," he blurts out.

"For what?"

"For just taking off like that. I just…" _Be honest._ "This was a very intense evening for me."

"I'm sure."

"But taking off like that… I was overreacting, and that's just stupid, so… forgive me?"

She smiles. "There's nothing to forgive."

"Come on. Grab your coat. I'll take you to get something to eat."

"Okay, I'll be right back," she says, turning and running back to her room.

He takes a deep breath, relieved that she isn't upset with him. He feels a smile breaking out over his face when Paris exits her room and stops in front of the door.

"Huntzberger. I understand you're the whale. On behalf of all women at Yale, I have to say…while I still don't really like you at all, I appreciate what you've done here."

 _What in God's name is she even talking about?_

Rory skips toward him pulling her coat on. "Let's go."

He takes her hand, but his awkward feelings don't go away as quickly as he hoped. They walk across campus to a twenty-four hour diner in almost complete silence.

 _Is there anything I can say that will actually make this better?_

Rory peers at him over her menu. "Logan, I want to make sure that this is what you want."

"It is."

"Because I don't want to change you."

"Ace… _I_ want to change. I've already changed. You know that I don't believe any of those things my mother said, right?"

She nods.

"I love how passionate you are about the paper. I mean… I first realized how attracted I was to you when you were investigating me!"

Rory blushes and smiles.

"And whoever I…" _marry._ "Whoever I date can absolutely work. That's just incredibly stupid."

"Logan, I know."

"I'm going to make some mistakes here. We both know I will. But I'm trying, and I do want to be with you. Can you be patient with me?" he asks.

Her smile takes over her face. "Of course. I'm so happy you're saying that. My mom said… You know what? It's not important."

"No, tell me what she said," he demands.

"She thinks that maybe you aren't the right guy for me if I'm having to change you so much. And that you're only agreeing to the monogamy to not lose me."

 _Ouch._

"I guess you should tell her that I came home from Vegas early and knocked on your door Saturday night so that I could tell you I wanted to do this for real."

"What?" she exclaims, eyebrows raised. " _You_ were going to ask _me_ for commitment?"

"Yeah. You weren't there, and I thought maybe you were out on a date. That maybe I had waited too long to figure this out." He takes a deep breath, unsure if this admission was the right thing to say. "So when you came over just wanting to be friends... You really weren't giving me an ultimatum. I already knew what I wanted. Tell your mom that!"

Their server approaches, and he smiles at the sheer volume of food that is soon to arrive at their table. But watching her, he realizes he has one more question.

"Did you mean that yesterday? You were really going to try and just be friends with me?"

Rory sighs. "Probably not. It would have been impossible to get over you if we were still hanging out all the time."

"Oh. So you were just going to get over me?" he teases.

"Well I never said it would be easy!"

 _It would be damn near impossible._

"I don't like the idea of you being over me. Actually," he says with a smirk. "I like it much better when you're under me."

He watches the blush creep up her neck.

He can't help but tease her again. "Maybe don't tell your mom I said that part."

* * *

A/N: And that's it for this one!


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